Of course, as a professional teacher you have developed lesson plans well in advance of a specific day. However, what you need to teach from a lesson plan and what the substitute may need to teach effectively may look completely different. First, make sure you include the essentials of good lesson plans. A substitute may not be familiar with the shorthand, abbreviations or "teacher terminology" you routinely use in your lesson plans. Try to organize your lesson plan so that it is easy to read and follow, realizing that the substitute may need background information to be able to understand the plan before instructing the class. Write a short note at the top of the lesson plan explaining what the students have done previously on this topic and what they will cover after today's lesson. This helps tremendously with the substitute teacher's understanding of the scope of what is to be accomplished that day. Include in your plans for the substitute teacher work that students can do independently. Make sure that the instructions to students are clear so that there is no confusion about what they are to do. Try to reschedule visits to the computer lab, media center or other location outside your classroom for days when you will be present. Unless you have already made specific arrangements with the computer teacher or the media specialist, it usually works best if students remain in the classroom. Include several optional activities for students to do in case there is extra time near the end of the period or day. These activities should make sense to the students and to the substitute in that it should be obvious how they relate to the lesson. Remember that you share a history with your students, which allows you to be more flexible in managing their class time. The substitute teacher will appreciate any efforts you make to ensure that the day goes well. And it will work to your advantage upon your return, too!